Embroidered cap badges
 

How about a thread on embroidered badges? let's get started with this RCE Badge. The badge is attached to a Coloured Field Service Cap but does not conform with the usual 'flaming bomb' badge. It is possible that it is a Warrant Officer's badge as they were entitled to an Officer's cap but not the badge.

http://www.servicepub.com/images/rcewirebadge.jpg

Rcamc
 

Here is another badge from a Coloured Field Service Cap. This RCAMC badge is not a nurse's issue as it is slightly larger then that worn by Nursing Sisters.

http://www.servicepub.com/images/rcamcwirebadge.jpg

Rcaoc
 

Here's another badge from a Coloured Field Service Cap. This time the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps;

http://www.servicepub.com/images/rcocwirebadge.jpg

The engineer badge looks like one for the patrols uniform or dress blues which went through some genisis as far as accoutriments with OTTAWA offering badges and the units vetoing for thier own designs . The same thing happened in 1970 with the greens

PAUL

I can't say who would have worn that RCE badge, but it's a lot nicer looking than the blue bomb.
Not all bullion badges were configured for CFSC's. The two corps badges pictured are on kakhi, specifically for wear on berets.
The only WW2 emboidered badge I'm aware of for wear by OR's is the SLI. Anybody know of others? These were in cotton thread, officers in bullion.

here's some regimentals

Great badges guys. These badges are seldom seen or discussed.
Doug is the SLI cotton embroidered badge for the CFSC or for the beret?

Embroidered badges
 

I Think Bill is right insofar as these badges are not discussed very much. Some very nice badges have been displayed thus far...

I included the nursing sisters larger badge that Clive was referring to..

Dwayne

Senior officers..
 

..any discussion of embroidered badges should include senior officers/generals badges...

More nice badges. Thanks Dwayne.
Senior officers' badges are an interesting anomally. There seems to be far more embroidered badges for those ranks than metal badges. One seldom sees metal badges for the rank of full colonel and above.

Hi Paul,
I am not sure what you mean? There was no separate RCE cap badge for wear with Patrols that I am aware of.

Doug is the SLI cotton embroidered badge for the CFSC or for the beret?[/QUOTE]

I've ben told these were only worn on the CFSC, & only in Canada.

Specualting that badge looked like it could be a candidate. I do have PPCLI collars that fit this catagory that are one off items and rare

PAUL

Bullion collars
 

A couple of examples from mess dress.

R C A
 

Here is a quality Artillery officer's wire badge.

http://www.servicepub.com/images/rcawirebadge.jpg

Fort Garry Horse
 

This example belongs to the FGH Museum;

http://www.servicepub.com/images/fghbadge.jpg

Ist Hussars FSC Officers bullion cap badge
 

.........1st Hussars on FSC...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...icersBadge.jpg

.........& a couple more.

I've heard collectors say that some officers of armoured regiments liked embroidered badges as thay didn't snag on all the machinery inside the tank. Any tankers can comment on this thought.

Likewise, airborne officers liked the embroidered badges for the same reason. I have a embroidered QOR, with a maroon backing which mimics the officers badge of the Canadian Airborne Regiment officers badge.

I guess both reasons may have a shred of truth.

Greg

Have heard similar stories over the years as well, but have never been able to get proof of this. I tend to think it is more of an old wives tale, and the real reason is that some just preferred emboidered badges. Besides, I dont think the idea of avoiding snags really holds up. If one of these thick wire jobs caught on something, it would likely damage the badge beyond repair.
Expensive to say the least.

CB

I wonder as well CB it they are old wives tales but I think the concern re metal badges was that the lugs might get driven into the foreheads of the soldiers.

I've seen plenty of war-time pictures of Armoured guys wearing berets with metal badges, so the fashion was just that a fashion of officers or the CO of the regiment.

Greg

hi guys
here are some british items
BC

And a couple more.

Embroidered cap badges
 

If I hear the term "zipperhead" applied again to armored corps soldiers in general, it will be a thousand times too often. The term applies only to members of LdSH(RC) and was only coined in 1965. Other armoured soldiers are not, repeat NOT, zipperheads. The story of how the name was acquired will have to wait for another time.
As a retired zipperhead, I will comment on the joys of having a lugged badge on the beret. When looking through a persiscope - and this applied to all members of the crew (driver, co-driver, gunner, loader/operator and crew commander) - as the tank was moving cross country, one would often bang one's head on the optical device and drive the lugs into the forehead. Very painful experience and very difficult to conceptualize for people with no tank time - e.g. our Mr Nehring.:rolleyes: Most of the crew either removed berets or pushed them to the back of the head to prevent forehead punctures. Officers were more likely to wear embroidered badges because they were more visible outside the turrets of tanks, and thus needed to be seen as being more "pukkha" and because they were authorized to do so, while ORs were not.
That said, I wore an embroidered FGH badge while a member of that regiment, but I have never seen an embroidered LdSH(RC) badge. I also have in my collection an embroidered badge of The Calgary Regiment (Tank).
Wyn

I have a Royal Canadian Corps of Signals embroidered capbadge.
I spoke to two veterans who served as Battalion Signals officers in Korea to get the story.
The badges were privately made in Japan and worn on the beret by battalion signals officers in Korea. A picture appeared in THE MAPLE LEAF showing one of the veterans wearing this badge.
I will post an image later.

Here is a Royal Hamilton Light Infantry officers badge. My dad wore this in the 70s.

Cheers,

Greg

Chaplain Corps collars
 

http://mpmuseum.org/boards/chcolonel.jpg
QC Collars from a RCAChC Brigadier's mess dress. Chaplain's collars were embroidered in silver wire rather than the usual gold wire Brigadier and Colonel collars.

Canadian Provost Corps
 

http://mpmuseum.org/boards/emcol.jpg
QC C Pro C mess dress collars.
http://mpmuseum.org/boards/emcol1.jpg
Mess dress collars in wear. Note the blue scroll variation.
http://mpmuseum.org/boards/quirk.jpg
Embroidered KC C Pro C cap badge on a Field Officer's SD Cap.
Worn by Maj. Quirk early 1950s.

John, Clarification please. The Chaplain's Corps used silver on the bullion badges instead of gold bullion? That was a Chaplain Corps dress distinction?

Bill, the illustrated collars were taken off a RCAChC Colonel's mess dress. They struck me as odd, as the only collars like that I had previously seen were in gold. I checked my copy of the 1953 Dress Regs and under the listing for ChC Brigadiers And Colonels the text was Royal Crest 1 1/4" by 3/4" in silver. It is difficult to make out as it's a photocopy and there are layers of ammendments. The same section lists the cap badge as being the Royal Crest in gold embroidery on a black backing for Chaplains, all others were gold emboidery on dark blue. But all the ones I've ever had were on black. Later ammendments maybe? Maybe a Chaplain expert can confirm, I only live for meathead stuff.

Irish Regiment of Canada
 

OK lads, I'm Sure you are all getting a little tired of my Irish Regiment of Canada babble, However, here is a bullion wire badge for the Irish Regiment of Canada. I have not had the opportunity yet to verify this as an actual issued badge. But here it is is.

Also John, I love the photos of your badges, especially the one on the cap. I tried to take a photo of my fathers Air Force Badge, which is still on his cap. All I get is either a bright spot where the badge should be, or a very blurry photo without the flash. If I ever get home before dark, I will take a photo in Natural light.

Hi Cliff, That appears to be a queen's crown variety?

Hello Bill, yes it is an Edwardian Crown, Queen's Crown cap badge. I really hope to find the time to dig up some further information on it. I have absolutely no information in regards to this badge.

I do not know if it is a legit badge,although I have no reason not to at this point. This one is defiantly cap badge size and not a blazer crest for certain. Is it Officers? ORs? I do not know. If it is legit, when was it issued? Just some of the many questions I have. I suspect this badge came about when the Irish dropped the Caubeen and opted for the silly beret. Unfortunately even that date eludes me at the moment.

Cliff
I didn't know the Irish dropped the caubean , When did this happen? Do they not wear the caubean at all now with any dress, Do they wear the O'Saffron kilt on any occasion? What have they done, That's a damn shame. It's a wonder they didn't take the badge & give them a general service one,(tri-service) Ray

The Caubeen was dropped sometime in the 80's I believe. The CO at the time was an ex Van Doo. He disliked the caubeen and the kilt. He felt they were an expence that could be done without. I was at the Coriano Dinner in September 2006 (IIRC) Col Voltonen told us he was bringing back the Caubeen and the Kilt. To say the least, this really impressed the vets. To date, the caubeen has been reissed to most of the the Irish but not all. Kilts are a bugger to get, just owing to the costs.

Most regiments have a Senate, consisting of previous Colonels and Honouraries, whose primary role is to ensure continuity and consistency. How did the Van Doo CO ever push this through and, once doone, I can't understand that the return should be so easy. If every regiment changed their dress, distinctions and traditions with every new CO there would be no time for operations.

a 'combo' badge: brass and bullion
 

I found this interesting, given the thread. EBay item 280231591992.

Albeit an QC RCMP badge, and not a military badge, it has a brass insert for the bison head, and remainder is bullion embroidery.

Are there any examples of CDN forces badges that combine both the bullion and metal/other elements like this?

I can think of several CF Branch badges that combined a metal central device with the embroidered "base".
Air Operations Branch
Logistics Branch
Security Branch
Communications and Electronics Branch

Air Operations bullion badge with metal central device
 

After several attempts of photographing this badge, this photo is the best I can come up with. Usually I scan my badges, however since this one is still attached to a Senior Officers Cap, this is not possible.

I will try again later to get a better photo, however it seems lately I am never home while the sun is up. Today it is raining. :(

Clive, I am digging for my notes on the whole Irish dress fiasco, as soon as I find them, I will start a new topic.

Some CF wire embroidered cap badges....
http://mpmuseum.org/boards/wire.jpg
The first pattern Security Branch cap badge worn by Officers and CWOs was all wire and hand embroidered. This is now obsolete. The current Security Branch (now the Military Police Branch) Officer and CWO cap badge has an enamel center. Below are Officer beret badges, from left to right, General Officer; Military Police (a private contracted pattern); Colonel (again just one of several patterns).